Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa)

Nicole Holmer, MS, CCC-A, Pediatric Audiologist, Seattle Children’s Hospital

What is swimmer’s ear?

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of your outer ear canal. Swimmer’s ear can be caused by:

• Moisture trapped in the ear canal
• An injury to the ear canal

Some people with skin conditions may get swimmer’s ear more easily.

Swimmer’s ear can be painful. It can happen to children or adults. If you are having ear pain, you should see your doctor or an ear, nose, and throat doctor, also called an ENT or otolaryngologist.

What are the signs of swimmer’s ear?

Symptoms include:

• Redness and swelling of the outer ear and ear canal
• Pain when you touch your ear
• Drainage from the ear canal
• Itchiness inside the ear

You may have some hearing loss if your ear is swollen or draining. This hearing loss usually goes away after the infection is gone.

How is swimmer’s ear treated?

Swimmer’s ear is usually treated with ear drops from your doctor. Your doctor may clean your ear canal or take a sample of any drainage to see which medicine will work the best. If your ear canal is very swollen, the doctor may have to leave a piece of cotton soaked in medicine in your ear to fight the infection. Your doctor may recommend a pain reliever if your ear canal hurts.

How can I avoid getting swimmer’s ear?

The best way to avoid an infection is to keep your ear canal dry! Here are some tips to keep your ears dry and healthy:

• Dry your ears well with a towel after swimming or bathing.
• Tilt your head to drain water from your ears. Pull on your earlobe to straighten out your ear canal and let the water out.
• If your ears still seem wet, try using a hair dryer on low and hold it several inches from your ear until your ears feel dry.
• Wear earplugs if you swim a lot. Your audiologist can make molds that fit your ears. You can also use a swim cap to keep your ears dry.
• Don’t put anything in your ears! Cotton swabs, fingernails, and pointed objects can scratch your ear canal. This can make it easier to get an infection.
• Earwax helps protect our ears from infection. Ask your doctor how to safely remove earwax if you think you have a problem with wax buildup.

What should I do if I think I have swimmer’s ear?

Swimmer’s ear can be treated, so contact your doctor or ENT right away. If you still have hearing problems after treatment, have your hearing tested by an audiologist.

How to manage and prevent swimmer’s ear

25/05/2019

This article covers how to prevent, treat and compete with otitis externa – known as swimmer’s ear.

What is swimmer’s ear?

Swimmer’s ear or ‘otitis externa’ is an inflammation of the outer canal (external auditory meatus) connecting the outside part of the ear (pinna) to the ear drum.

The name ‘swimmer’s ear’ comes about as a common cause is water remaining in the canal after swimming. Medically this is known as otitis externa and is different from an infection of the middle ear known as otitis media.

What you need to know about swimmer’s ear and swimming

Symptoms

• Mild: slight irritation in the canal and sometimes a little redness and mild discomfort, on occasions with a slight discharge of colourless fluid
• Moderate: the itching and irritation becomes intense, which may have a pus stained discharge, some pain and redness visible externally. The canal can become partially blocked by the debris which gives a muffled sensation and if the blockage is greater, there may be a degree of hearing loss
• Severe: this requires urgent medical attention if there is temperature (pyrexia), severe pain, complete blockage, large amount of discharge, lymph gland enlargement in the neck or swelling of the outer ear.

Causes

• Like most medical conditions, prevention is better than the cure so that it doesn’t become a recurrent problem.
• If you are a competitive swimmer, you may be more susceptible to develop this condition. This could be due to
  the prolonged periods of time you spend training in chlorinated water making you more vulnerable to inflammation.
• The cause is an infection, usually bacteria (pseudomonas or staphylococcus aureus). It invades the skin inside the ear which is thin and lines the canal.
• Sometimes the inflammation is caused by a fungus or by an allergy causing a secondary eczema.

Treatment

• Most episodes of otitis externa can be cleared up quickly. This can be within a few days with a topical (directly applied) treatment.
• Swabs sent for testing can help with determining which bacteria is causing the infection and determine antibiotic sensitivity.
• Ear drops usually contain an antibiotic to kill the bacteria, a steroid ear drop to reduce the swelling and inflammation and sometimes an anti-fungal drop to kill primary or secondary fungal infection.
• There are numerous other medications manufactured by pharmaceutical companies such as ‘Otosporin’ or ‘Sofradex’ and the application advice should be followed.
• Oral antibiotics such as flucloxacillin may be necessary if there is inflammation or spreading infection.
• After treatment, a follow up with your doctor can be arranged if necessary to exclude other causes such as a perforated drum.

Tips for preventing swimmer’s ear

These tips are to help you prevent swimmer’s ear whilst taking part in swimming and aquatic sports.

Do:

1. Wear a tight fitting silicon swimming cap. This reduces the amount of water entering your ears. More protection can be achieved by using ear plugs.
2. Shower after your swim and dry both ears as chlorine in water is a drying agent.

3. Clean and sterilise your ear plugs to avoid growth of bacteria.

Try:

1. An alcohol based proprietary preparation such as ‘Ear Calm’ as you may benefit from this. This is applied after swimming and keeps the canal dry, kills bacteria and minimises the risk of infection.
2. To keep ears clear of wax as this can encourage bacteria growth and recurrent infections. If there is a lot of wax in your ear, this can be syringed out by your local practice nurse (now mainly recommended only if other remedies fail) or using a wax dissolving topical preparation such as ‘Cerumol’.

Avoid:

1. Putting objects in your ear such as cotton buds to try and clean wax. The lining of the outer canal (external auditory meatus) can be damaged by this type of trauma.

Be careful:

1. When training in a different pool to what you are used to as you may be more susceptible to infection.

Additional Advice

You can find out general advice about ear infections on the NHS website.

Health Fact Sheets

Swim England’s Health Commission group have developed a range of fact sheets on swimming with particular health conditions, written for competitive swimmers, the general public and to also assist those who support or advise swimmers.

Listed below is the current fact sheet library for people with health conditions.

To view and download fact sheets written specifically for people who support or advise swimmers, head to our Health and Wellbeing pages.

Swimmer’s Ear: What it Is and How to Treat it

Kids are itching to get that last minute dip in the lake or trip to the public pool before the school bell rings. But if they’re not careful, they could soon be itching for weeks afterward due to a painful condition called swimmer’s ear.

What Is Swimmer’s Ear?

Otitis externa, commonly known as swimmer’s ear, is simply a skin infection inside the ear canal. You do not have to be a swimmer to contract the condition, but it is common in people who spend a lot of time in water. Cases of swimmer’s ear peak in the summer months due to increased humidity and greater use of pools, rivers, and ponds.

Cases of swimmer’s ear can vary depending on the following factors:

• Causes.  The infection starts when bacteria enter the ear. All water contains bacteria, but contamination levels are significantly higher in untreated water sources, such as oceans, ponds, lakes, and rivers. As beachgoers cool off in the water, bacteria may travel into their ears on the waves and become trapped in the ear canal. If the water isn’t drained from the ears after swimming, it will begin to grow in the moist environment of the middle ear, resulting in an infection.
• Patients. Children are most likely to develop swimmer’s ear, but they are by no means the only people at risk. People who have very narrow ear canals or use cotton swabs in their ears are more susceptible to infection, while those who have eczema or psoriasis or routinely touch their ears are more likely to spread the bacteria.
• Symptoms. Hearing loss is a common side effect of swimmer’s ear. The ear may feel clogged as fluid builds up and the tissues swell, sounds become muffled or may even be blocked altogether. If not treated quickly, the patient will soon experience severe pain due to pressure in the ear canal, and some patients will hear a ringing in the blocked ear (tinnitus).

Treatment for swimmer’s ear is usually a combination of antibiotics taken by mouth or as drops into the ear. It can take up to two weeks for the infection to clear up; however, the pain should start to abate in a few days after treatment. In order to prevent the infection from returning, many hearing care professionals recommend staying out of the water for at least two weeks, including plugging the ears with cotton or earplugs while showering. If treated successfully, the hearing loss suffered due to swimmer’s ear should be temporary.

What Are the Best Ways to Protect Against Swimmer’s Ear?

Most people who have experienced the pain of swimmer’s ear are not keen to repeat it. Fortunately, the condition is fairly easy to prevent with a few simple precautions:

• Wear fitted earplugs or a swim cap when swimming, especially in untreated waters.
• When you are done swimming, tilt your head to each side to drain the excess water.
• Dry your ears thoroughly with a towel or hair dryer or use ear-water drying aid drops after swimming.
• Avoid using cotton swabs or inserting small objects into your ears.
• Check the bacterial count of the water before swimming. If a public beach has a sign warning against high bacterial counts (or otherwise indicates no swimming), stay out of the water.

If you or someone you love has contracted swimmer’s ear, you should see a hearing care professional as soon as possible. The sooner you begin treatment, the sooner your pain will subside and you can get back on the beach for some more fun in the sun. Call us today at (410) 202-8517 to set up an appointment today!

Swimmer’s ear | Sparrow

The goal of treatment is to stop the infection and allow your ear canal to heal.

Cleaning

Cleaning your outer ear canal is necessary to help eardrops flow to all infected areas. Your doctor will use a suction device or ear curette to clean away discharge, clumps of earwax, flaky skin and other debris.

Medications for infection

For most cases of swimmer’s ear, your doctor will prescribe eardrops that have some combination of the following ingredients, depending on the type and seriousness of your infection:

• Acidic solution to help restore your ear’s normal antibacterial environment
• Steroid to reduce inflammation
• Antibiotic to fight bacteria
• Antifungal medication to fight infection caused by a fungus

Ask your doctor about the best method for taking your eardrops. Some ideas that may help you use eardrops include the following:

• Reduce the discomfort of cool drops by holding the bottle in your hand for a few minutes to bring the temperature of the drops closer to body temperature.
• Lie on your side with your infected ear up for a few minutes to help medication travel through the full length of your ear canal.
• If possible, have someone help you put the drops in your ear.
• To put drops in a child’s or adult’s ear, pull the ear up and back.

If your ear canal is completely blocked by swelling, inflammation or excess discharge, your doctor might insert a wick made of cotton or gauze to promote drainage and help draw medication into your ear canal.

If your infection is more advanced or doesn’t respond to treatment with eardrops, your doctor might prescribe oral antibiotics.

Medications for pain

Your doctor might recommend easing the discomfort of swimmer’s ear with over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), naproxen sodium (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

If your pain is severe or your swimmer’s ear is more advanced, your doctor might prescribe a stronger medication for pain relief.

Helping your treatment work

During treatment, do the following to help keep your ears dry and avoid further irritation:

• Don’t swim or go scuba diving.
• Avoid flying.
• Don’t wear an earplug, a hearing aid or earbuds before pain or discharge has stopped.
• Avoid getting water in your ear canal when showering or bathing. Use a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly to protect your ear during a shower or bath.

Swimmer’s ear | UF Health, University of Florida Health

Definition

Swimmer’s ear is inflammation, irritation, or infection of the outer ear and ear canal. The medical term for swimmer’s ear is otitis externa.

Swimmer’s ear may be sudden and short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic).

Alternative Names

Ear infection – outer ear – acute; Otitis externa – acute; Chronic swimmer’s ear; Otitis externa – chronic; Ear infection – outer ear – chronic

Causes

Swimmer’s ear is more common among children in their teens and young adults. It may occur with a middle ear infection or a respiratory infection such as a cold.

Swimming in unclean water can lead to swimmer’s ear. Bacteria commonly often found in water can cause ear infections. Rarely, the infection may be caused by a fungus.

Other causes of swimmer’s ear include:

• Scratching the ear or inside the ear
• Getting something stuck in the ear

Trying to clean (wax from the ear canal) with cotton swabs or small objects can damage the skin.

Long-term (chronic) swimmer’s ear may be due to:

• Allergic reaction to something placed in the ear
• Chronic skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis

Symptoms

Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

Exams and Tests

The health care provider will look inside your ears. The ear canal area will look red and swollen. The skin inside the ear canal may be scaly or shedding.

Touching or moving the outer ear will increase the pain. The eardrum may be hard to see because of a swelling in the outer ear. The eardrum may have a hole in it. This is called a perforation.

A sample of fluid may be removed from the ear and sent to a lab to look for bacteria or fungus.

Treatment

In most cases, you will need to use ear antibiotic drops for 10 to 14 days. If the ear canal is very swollen, a wick may be put into the ear. The wick will allow the drops to travel to the end of the canal. Your provider can show you how to do this.

Other treatments may include:

• Antibiotics taken by mouth if you have a middle ear infection or infection that spreads beyond the ear
• Corticosteroids to reduce itching and inflammation
• Pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• Vinegar (acetic acid) ear drops

People with chronic swimmer’s ear may need long-term or repeated treatment. This will to avoid complications.

Placing something warm against the ear may reduce pain.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Swimmer’s ear most often gets better with the proper treatment.

Possible Complications

The infection may spread to other areas around the ear, including the skull bone. In older people or those who have diabetes, the infection may become severe. This condition is called malignant otitis externa. This condition is treated with high-dose antibiotics given through a vein.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your provider if:

• You develop any symptoms of swimmer’s ear
• You notice any drainage coming from your ears
• Your symptoms get worse or continue despite treatment
• You have new symptoms, such as fever or pain and redness of the skull behind the ear

Prevention

These steps can help protect your ears from further damage:

• DO NOT scratch the ears or insert cotton swabs or other objects in the ears.
• Keep ears clean and dry, and DO NOT let water enter the ears when showering, shampooing, or bathing.
• Dry your ear very well after it has gotten wet.
• Avoid swimming in polluted water.
• Use earplugs when swimming.
• Try mixing 1 drop of alcohol with 1 drop of white vinegar and placing the mixture into the ears after they get wet. The alcohol and acid in the vinegar help prevent bacterial growth.

Images

References

American Speech-Language Hearing Association website. Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa). www.asha.org/public/hearing/Swimmers-Ear/. Accessed September 2, 2020.

Haddad J, Dodhia SN. External otitis (otitis externa). In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 657.

Naples JG, Brant JA, Ruckenstein MJ. Infections of the external ear. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 138.

Swimmers ear treatment | AXA Health

From what you describe it sounds like you may have swimmer’s ear. This usually passes over a period of a few days but it is possible for infection to develop if the water/wax are not removed.

Use of cotton buds is not recommended as this can potentially push the wax and water further into your ear, as well as potentially perforating the eardrum. Instead try one or more of the following suggestions.

Tips to help remove water and wax from the ear

• Pulling the ear lobe and tilting the head sideways (with the affected ear pointing downwards!) to see if gravity will take its course and drain the ear canal.
• Yawning, chewing and blowing to help ease the tension in the eustachian tubes and help clear the passages.
• Creating a vacuum by placing your hand over the ear then gently pressing and releasing to help draw the water out.
• Use a hairdryer to help draw moisture out of the ear – hold the dryer about a foot from your ear and use airflow for cycles of approximately 30 seconds.
• Applying a heat compress to the ear again to help open the eustachian tubes.
• Steam inhalations, again to help open the eustachian tubes.
• Using drops:
  – olive oil to help soften wax
  – vinegar and alcohol to help break down wax
  – hydrogen peroxide, again to breakdown wax
  – over the counter medications to breakdown and soften wax and help reduce inflammation, e. g. Otex, Earex, Otodex, Otodine and sodium bicarbonate preparations,

If these don’t help and symptoms persist, it would be advisable to seek the advice of a pharmacist.

If your symptoms get worse or you experience pain and fever or swelling this would indicate that the ear has become infected and you should arrange an appointment with a doctor at the earliest opportunity. This could be with a local doctor or, if you prefer to speak to a UK registered GP, AXA Health members can do so via our AXA Doctor at Hand service.

Doctor at Hand gives you access to an extended (up to 20 minutes) GP consultation by video or by phone, from anywhere in the world, day or night. Appointments are available at short notice – usually within an hour of your preferred timeslot – and if you need a prescription it can be delivered to your door, at home or abroad. If there is infection present, antibiotics may be needed and it would be advisable to start treatment as soon as possible to calm the infection before your flight home.

Ear infection and flying

It’s best to avoid flying if you have an ear or sinus infection. This is because the associated swelling of the ear canal interferes with the mechanism that equalises pressure between the inner and outer ear during take-off and landing (the feeling of your ears ‘popping’), which can, in some instances, cause the eardrum to burst.

Flying with blocked ears

Hopefully your blocked ears will clear up before you’re due to return to the UK, either by themselves, or with antibiotic treatment, if there is an infection present. However if there are still signs of a blockage, take a look at our article Blocked ears and flying for some tips you can try to make your trip home more comfortable. Finally, here are some recommendations regarding swimming/showering for the remainder of the holiday.

Tips for looking after your ear health on holiday

• Avoid water sports, swimming and scuba diving
• Try to avoid getting further water in your ears
• Try to empty ears of water immediately afterwards
• Consider using swimming ear plugs.

Wishing you all the best for the rest of your stay and a safe journey home.

Answered by the Health at Hand team.

References

www.healthytravelblog.com/2019/03/10/is-it-safe-to-fly-with-an-ear-infection/

Sources and further reading

Blocked ear and flying – Ask the Expert
Very blocked ears – Ask the Expert
Earwax build up  – NHS factsheet
Glue ear (in children) – NHS factsheet
Ear infections – NHS factsheet

What Is Swimmer’s Ear and How to Avoid It

Our kids likely will be splashing in the water all summer long. Whether they’re diving in the backyard swimming pool, braving the ocean waves, or frolicking at local splash pads, water activities are how we Floridians manage this intense heat (and, of course, have a little fun!). As your kids enjoy all of these water activities, though, you may wonder about swimmer’s ear. We hear people talk about it frequently, but is it something you should worry about?

Swimmer’s ear: An outer ear infection

Swimmer’s ear is a phrase that’s often used to describe an infection in the outer part of the ear. Your doctor would likely refer to it as otitis externa. This outer ear infection can cause ear pain, an itching sensation, a feeling of fullness in the ear, pus oozing from the ear or jaw pain. Symptoms usually set in quickly over a 48-hour period. Otitis externa is more common in warm, humid climates and with frequent exposure to water, such as in swimming.

Although it’s called swimmer’s ear, other things besides swimming can precipitate this type of infection. Earwax removal can cause trauma to the ear canal, and it can become infected. With its protective lubrication and antibacterial properties, earwax is good for the ear when present in normal amounts. Doctors don’t recommend that you clean your child’s ears (or your own) with cotton swabs. Other issues such as allergies, stress, skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, genetics, aggressive cleaning or wearing hearing aids may make it more likely for someone to develop this infection.

It’s important to understand, also, that all ear infections aren’t the same. The type of infection often seen in children after they’ve had a cold or runny nose is usually what’s known as otitis media. This is an infection in the middle part of the ear. Adults can get them, too, but usually not as frequently as kids. Infections also can occur in the innermost part of the ear, but these are uncommon.

Treatment of swimmer’s ear

If your child is diagnosed with swimmer’s ear, the doctor likely will prescribe antibacterial ear drops.

You may wonder, though, why this treatment differs from the medication your child would typically receive for otitis media, or middle-ear infection. When antibiotics are needed for otitis media, the infection is treated with systemic antibiotics (a pill or liquid given by mouth and distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream) because ear drops can’t reach the middle ear very well.

Topical ear drops can reach the outer ear well and are very effective at treating outer-ear infections. And as a bonus, these topical solutions don’t give your child the side effects that can come with oral antibiotics (diarrhea being one of the most common). Not only that, but the oral medications often are not effective against the type of bacteria that frequently causes swimmer’s ear.

Your doctor or pharmacist should show you how to administer these ear drops effectively, and you should keep the ears clean and dry during the time of treatment. Also, be sure your doctor is aware if your child has ear tubes (tympanostomy tubes), as this may affect which medication is prescribed.

Although it’s called swimmer’s ear, other things besides swimming can precipitate this type of infection.

Preventing swimmer’s ear

If your child is prone to swimmer’s ear, you can minimize the opportunity for infection by:

• Keeping ears clean and dry whenever possible.
• Avoiding cotton swabs to clean the ears.
• Thoroughly drying wet ears with a towel. You can shake water from the ears or use a hair dryer to help dry the ear canal. 
• Placing over-the-counter rubbing alcohol (70 percent isopropyl alcohol) or a half-and-half mixture of rubbing alcohol and vinegar in the ear with an eye dropper after swimming.
• Using earplugs or bathing caps when swimming to keep water out. Make sure ears are clean and dry before use so water isn’t trapped inside the ear.
• Monitoring the water you allow your child to swim in. Public swimming areas or poorly maintained hot tubs may offer more opportunity for bacteria to thrive.

Incorporating these small changes into your water routine may help minimize the risk of swimmer’s ear and allow your child to safely enjoy the water all summer long.

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90,000 How to choose the best swimmer’s ear drops?

Commonly known as swimmer’s ear, water trapped inside the eardrum can lead to a painful bacterial infection and can happen to anyone – even those who have not swum. Swimmer’s ear drops are the best way to fight off this infection and reduce pain. For a person suffering from swimmer’s ear, it is important to choose swimmer ear drops with antiseptic and antibiotic in them. This clears up the dirt inside the ear canal and heals the infection.Swimmer’s ear drops should be quick-acting to relieve pain during the first 24 hours of use and completely eliminate painful infection within four days to a week.

Pain is the most common symptom of swimmer’s ear. It can become so intense that the person cannot work or even take leisure time. It is best for her to lie down and drink the drops from the swimmer’s ear right now. By holding a warm cloth over the ear, you may feel some relief as the patient waits for the ear drops to take effect.If swelling and itching also occurs, the patient should see a doctor who may give her a small, funnel-shaped object known as a wick to help guide the drops into the swollen ear canal.

When choosing ear drops, the patient should check the vial to see how quickly the ear drops take effect and what ingredients are included. He must have at least an antibiotic to kill the infection, or else the swimmer’s ear drops won’t work. Ear drops from most OTC vendors are sufficient, but the patient may have a preference for the size and shape of the applicator they want.

After purchase, the patient should ask a friend to help apply the ear drops as directed on the bottle or as directed by her doctor. Often, drops are placed in the ear and left on for a few minutes before the patient is allowed to stand. She should place a washcloth or cotton ball on her ear to catch the drops of liquid as it starts to flow.

It is important that the patient does not take any other antibacterial medication when using swimmer’s ear drops, unless advised by her doctor.The ingredients in the ear drops kill the bacterial infection by preventing the bacteria from building up resistance to them. However, oral antibiotics can create resistant bacteria if used too often. When this happens, antibiotics are no longer effective against bacterial infections in the patient.

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90,000 Swimming equipment for beginners and advanced athletes: differences and features

Arriving at a sports store, many people wonder how the seemingly the same equipment can be so different in price.Indeed, at first glance it seems that, for example, this and that model are exactly the same, and differ, perhaps, in design. However, in reality, there is a difference. And in our today’s article we will talk specifically about the difference between advanced sports equipment from the same, but the entry level, and we will do this using the example of a new category for the Kant chain of stores – goods for swimming.

However, you can use our article not only to compare equipment, but also as a checklist for collecting in the pool.After going through all the points, you will definitely not forget anything and will surely learn something new, since swimming, like any sport, does not stand still, including in terms of equipment development.

Selection problem

First of all, I would like to note that if we are talking about high-quality products of well-known sports brands, then our choice will not be between “bad” and “good”. These concepts do not apply to the products of companies that value their reputation. Almost all of their products, with very, very rare exceptions, which are in the nature of an experiment, are distinguished by proper quality, functionality and durability.Here it will be more appropriate to talk about the choice between “good” and “just as good”, but more suitable for you, for your specific conditions and tasks.

If we talk in terms of the topic of our article, then the difference between equipment for advanced athletes and beginners will often be precisely in “sharpening” for certain goals.

If you are an athlete who is actively involved in sports, if you are an amateur who regularly participates in competitions, then we have special discount cards for you that allow you to receive significant discounts on the equipment, shoes or clothing you need.

So, for example, goggles designed for long-term swimming in open water will have such functions as protection from ultraviolet rays, sun glare, large viewing angles, a soft and rather voluminous shutter – a soft pad between the plastic of the glasses and the skin, if desired – optical filters or photochromic lenses for fine adjustment to the current lighting and an increase in the clarity of the “picture”. All this is very useful and convenient when used in open water swimming, but you can safely refuse from the overwhelming number of these “chips” if you only have fitness trips to the pool once or twice a week.So, first of all, decide on your goals, and already from them build a list of your equipment.

Equipment

To make it easier for you to navigate, we have prepared a list of swimming equipment with a comparative description of both models for beginners and for athletes improving their sports form.

Points

A swimming accessory essential for swimming in the pool and open water. We have already written in more detail about the choice of glasses in our special article.

Now let’s just list the main points.

Swimming goggles are designed to protect the eyes from chlorinated water in the pool, from salty sea water, as well as from small particles of silt, duckweed and water debris, which is especially important when swimming and relaxing on rivers and lakes. In addition, good glasses block harmful ultraviolet radiation, remove bright reflections that irritate the eyes, and give the underwater image additional clarity and contrast.

There are four types of swimming goggles.

Practice

The most versatile goggle designed for both amateur swimming and professional training. They are distinguished by their convenience, soft fit and a relatively low price. These glasses are suitable for most types of facial structure, among them there are special female models that are smaller in size.

In the range of training glasses, there are both the simplest models and more advanced ones with many additional options, such as polarized lenses to combat water glare or a “smart” self-adjusting nose bridge.Made of a special silicone material, due to its elasticity, it takes the shape you need, and the glasses fit comfortably on almost any face shape.

Starting

Advanced sports goggles designed primarily for racing and competition. They have, unlike training, a hard landing with a minimum soft layer and a low profile, which has scientifically calculated hydrodynamics for minimum water resistance.These are the lightest and most streamlined goggles, but it is not recommended to always use only them in training, since, due to their minimalism and focus primarily on sports performance, they are not as comfortable as training models.

Half masks

A versatile goggle that is perfect for relaxing at a seaside resort and for fitness in the pool. Half-mask goggles have excellent visibility, so they are suitable even for simple diving.Soft and voluminous lining allows you to wear them for a long time and comfortably without any inconvenience and marks on the skin. If high streamlining and, accordingly, speed are not important to you, but convenience and multitasking are a priority, then you can safely consider this option. There are a variety of models of such half masks for both adults and children.

Eyeglasses

Designed for people with impaired vision, and the lenses can be either with the same performance or with different ones.Alternatively, you can also use half-mask glasses paired with contact lenses.

Special sports nutrition and drinking with isotonic drugs can compensate for the loss of carbohydrates and water during swimming.

We recommend you a detailed article about what “sports nutrition” is, why you need it and why it allows you to qualitatively replenish the expended energy and increase productivity during training or in the process of competition.

All isotonics in “Kant”

All sports nutrition in “Kant”

Swimwear and swimwear

Sports swimming trunks and swimwear are an important part of the outfit of both an amateur and a professional. Their workmanship, materials and convenience directly affect how comfortable a person feels in the water, how free his movements are, and, therefore, both sports and training results.

Today, manufacturers of sports equipment offer swimming trunks and swimwear for every taste, body size and wallet.

There are several types of men’s swimming trunks:

Classic Swim Trunks: Briefs & Slips

Perhaps this is the most popular and widespread type of swimming trunks. Classic “triangles” are versatile, comfortable and comfortable to sit. Among them there are both tight-fitting models and more loose ones. The fabrics from which they are sewn also differ: models for frequent regular swimming in the pool are made with increased resistance to chlorine.

Classic swimming trunks have different heights at the waist.Manufacturers also often refer to it as the length of the side seam. It can be standard, medium (mid) and low (low), so that everyone can choose a model for themselves according to their shape and personal preferences.

Briefs differ from briefs in a narrower and more tight-fitting side part. The classic triangle bikini bottom visually lengthens the legs and gives the legs and buttocks a more sporty and toned look.

It is the classic swimming trunks, made of high-quality elastic and smooth fabrics, with high chlorine protection, that can most often be seen on athletes participating in competitions.

Swim-boxers

They differ from slips and briefs in greater length. Such swimming trunks are very comfortable, suitable for both the beach and the pool, provided the fabric is protected from the harmful effects of chlorine.

Swim shorts and bermuda shorts

These are loose, long cut swimming trunks, often with an inner mesh lining.

An excellent option for the beach and recreational near-water activities.Most of these swimming trunks are bright, with pockets and decorative details. You can not only swim in them, but also just walk, put on, for example, a T-shirt and go out into the city, go to a beach bar or play volleyball on the sand.

Such shorts are not suitable for sports swimming, and in some pools they are not allowed in them at all. This is a resort option, almost ideal for a beach holiday and swimming in open water.

Jammer or starter trunks

Exceptionally professional models.They are made of high-tech materials and are distinguished by high elasticity, strength, smoothness and lightness. They give athletes a noticeable increase in speed, provide an optimal position of the swimmer in the water from the point of view of hydrodynamics, and have a useful compression effect.

Women’s swimwear

They are mainly divided into beach and sports. The former are intended for swimming in natural reservoirs, beach recreation and related activities, the latter for swimming in the pool and in open water, as well as for related sports.Naturally, beach swimsuits are much more varied in design and decor and are more often separate – this is more comfortable for sunbathing. Many cut and color options allow you to choose a swimsuit that visually corrects your figure.

Sports models are, as a rule, one-piece swimsuits, although occasionally there are separate ones with a sports-type bodice that supports the chest. They are laconic in design, provide optimal hydrodynamics and do not interfere with the movements of the arms and legs during active swimming, sports styles, exercises and water sports.

The fabric of high-quality swimwear of any type is tactilely pleasant to the body, hypoallergenic, resistant to chlorine, salt water and solar ultraviolet light, does not fade in the sun and does not stretch over time.

All women’s swimwear in “Kant”

Beanies

As a rule, all adult swimming caps, except for special models for owners of lush hair, are of the same size. They differ only in material.Most often they are made from latex, silicone, or from elastic synthetic fabric with characteristics similar to the one from which swimming trunks and swimwear are sewn.

Latex

The simplest models. They are very cheap, however, due to their subtlety they require careful handling.

It takes a certain skill to put them on and take them off. Latex caps tend to stick even to relatively short hair; when stored tightly folded, they stick together.In short, if you need a hat more than once, then it is better to look at models made of other materials, for example, silicone.

Silicone

Such models are good, but far from completely, protect the hair from getting wet, and therefore from the potentially harmful effects of chlorine, are as streamlined as possible, but some people may feel uncomfortable with their tight fit on the head. In addition, they become electrified from the hair, and you can also pierce them and break the tightness with a hairpin or hairpin.

Tissue

Hats of this type are completely wet, practically do not press, do not electrify, are not afraid of holes from hair pins, but they have a high coefficient of water resistance, so they are not suitable for competitive purposes.

In them, however, it is convenient to train in very warm water, since the head “breathes” in this case much better than in silicone models. When swimming in cold water, the opposite is true – thick silicone caps help to keep warm better.

Combined

Compromise option. Here, the inside is made of fabric and the outside is made of silicone. Thus, to a large extent, they combine the best qualities of both materials.

Tips for selection and care

For open water swimming it is better to choose a bright hat so you will be more visible from a distance.

For professional athletes and advanced amateurs taking part in competitions, major swimming brands develop special high-tech models.Everything in them is subject to the requirements of hydrodynamics. For world-class athletes, caps are often made individually, taking into account all anatomical features.

Such models sit like a glove without any folds that can slow down the swimmer. The advanced beanie often has differentiated thicknesses across the head and elaborate geometry. All this is designed to work for one single goal – to minimize water resistance and show the highest sports performance.

It is very easy to care for hats of all types – you just need to rinse them in fresh water after exercise and dry them at room temperature without using heating devices and not in strong sun. They dry very quickly.

Summing up, I would like to note that for sports purposes, silicone caps are undoubtedly better suited, and for quiet workouts and fitness swimming in the pool, you can use fabric and combined options. People with long hair will appreciate the convenience of special asymmetrical models.

All swimming caps in Kant

Towels

It would seem that there is not and cannot be anything special. Both ordinary visitors to the pools and professional athletes use the same bath towels or cloth towels. However, it is not.

Athletes around the world have long appreciated the convenience and functionality of microfiber towels. This is a technologically advanced material that is capable of absorbing water several times its own weight.At the same time, it is extremely compact, when folded it takes up much less space than traditional towels. Microfiber picks up moisture very quickly and dries just as quickly, weighs little and is extremely pleasant to the touch. Such towels can withstand a lot of washes at temperatures not exceeding forty degrees, do not fade, do not stretch and do not lose their properties of high hygroscopicity – water absorption. They do not need to be ironed. They dry unfolded very quickly at normal room temperature.

We have a special article on how to properly wash sportswear

There is an explanation of all the pictograms that are displayed on the nameplates and advice on the use of various detergents.

Even a small microfiber towel removes moisture from the body much faster than a traditional large cotton towel. At the same time, a microfiber towel does not take up so much space in a sports bag or backpack, which is very convenient for a modern city dweller, and it is also very convenient to take such a towel with you on hikes.

Useful article about the little things that can make your trip even more comfortable

In general, an extremely convenient option for those who appreciate truly high-quality products.

Slides / Slippers / Crocs

Mandatory shoes for visiting the pool.

Few people know that this name of this shoe in our country appeared by chance. Back in the USSR, summer beach slippers were made at a factory in the town of Slantsy, Leningrad Region.On many models, the word “Slates” was embossed into the soles, and buyers began to refer to the type of shoe as such. Since then, this is the name for any waterproof open shoes made of rubber or synthetic materials.

With regard to swimming, such shoes should not slip on a wet floor yet, be light in weight and compact, so that it is more convenient to carry them in a bag or backpack, quickly and easily take off and put on.

All these qualities are possessed by the footwear of the American company Crocs.Soft, comfortable, non-slip slippers in a variety of styles, shapes and colors, perfect for both the pool and the beach.

All Crocs sandals in Kant

All footwear intended for use in water sports

Hours

A sports watch that tracks your heart rate, distance, stroke rate, automatically counts swimming pools – this is a topic for another long article. Here, we just note that for those who want to improve in swimming, as well as for all those who are interested in their own health, such a device will be extremely useful.

A modern smart watch is no longer a device exclusively for professionals. This is a multifunctional advanced device for athletes of all levels and simply for people with an active lifestyle.

In the assortment of Kant stores, sports watches of the famous Finnish brand Suunto, as well as the American Garmin, are widely represented. There are both advanced models that are used by the world’s top athletes, and options for beginners.

All sports watches and sensors that record key data for swimming in Kant

Key models:

Special article on using gadgets during training

Detailed article on the Suunto sports watch.Overview of important “chips” and necessary functions

Special equipment

This includes equipment and accessories for selected sports swimming disciplines, as well as for improving technique and physical fitness.

Wetsuit

Essential for swimming in cold and cool water, included in the required equipment for triathlon. In the Kant chain of stores, wetsuits are not yet sold, however, everyone who swam in them and faced the problem of rubbing in the neck area knows that the right means of protection is to put on a regular multifunctional bandana-scarf of the Spanish brand BUFF®, so that there was no trouble in these places.

If you want to train and progress with high quality, then we recommend that you contact our partners – companies that have proven themselves in the organization of training processes:

Earplugs

Swimming accessory to prevent water from entering the ear. Recommended for people suffering from ear diseases, as well as for swimming in reservoirs with low water quality, for example, in heavily silted ones, when all the bottom mud rises during a mass start and running into a reservoir.

They are usually made of soft hypoallergenic silicone. They are cylindrical or mushroom-shaped. There are also children’s models.

Nose clip

This is a plastic clothespin that prevents water from entering the nose.

The clamp is actively used in synchronous and partly in diving, as well as in various training exercises.

For sports swimming in the pool, the nose clip is rarely used, only for specialized training and, sometimes, in combination with a breathing tube.

Fins

In sports swimming, they are used in training to improve swimming technique and develop leg strength and endurance. Most often, short fins with a blade length of 2.5 to 5 cm are chosen for this purpose. Made of soft materials, usually silicone, they do not load the joints too much, therefore they are suitable even for beginners. Advanced swimmers also use stiff fins, which give a lot of load.

They are well suited for improving the crawl technique on the chest and back, as well as butterfly, eliminating mistakes.In addition, the fins help to diversify the workout, which is especially important for children. Also, they can be successfully used not only in the pool, but also for sea resort swimming and diving. Do not forget to rinse them in fresh water only after swimming in seawater to wash off the salt and sand, and then dry them, but not under strong sun.

Blades

A device that is put on a swimmer’s palm for practicing correct swimming technique and developing speed-strength qualities.

The mechanism of action here is as simple as possible: the shoulder blades increase the area of ​​the palms, as a result of which the swimmer feels the water better in all phases of the stroke, which contributes to the development of the correct technique. And having already worked it out, the athlete, thanks to the effect of muscle memory, transfers the correct movements into his swimming without shoulder blades. In addition, when using this device, the load on the muscles of the arms and back during swimming increases significantly, and their strength training occurs.

However, if you are not yet a very advanced swimmer, then it is not recommended to use the shoulder blades, as they, on the contrary, can cause errors in technique, and even injuries from overloading the shoulder and elbow joints.

Also, the shoulder blades are used when doing water aerobics to increase the load on the muscles of the shoulder girdle and arms.

Boards and balls

Special attachments made of lightweight, non-sinking material. Used to teach swimming and practice techniques for both adults and children. They hold the boards with their hands and do exercises for the legs on the breathing technique, and the balls, on the contrary, are clamped between the legs and load the hands.

Accordingly, they have different shapes, although there are universal options for use as a trainer for both arms and legs.

There are many exercises using planks and dumplings that allow you to both simply learn to swim and seriously improve your technique.

Conclusions

As we can see, swimming is not as simple a sport in terms of equipment as it sometimes seems at first glance. There are many nuances in the selection of equipment that can both make your workouts easier, take them to a qualitatively different level, add comfort and safety, and, conversely, cause dissatisfaction, decreased results and possible injuries.

Choose your equipment wisely based on your tasks, focus on the products of famous sports brands that have collaborated with leading athletes for many years and produce quality equipment, and feel like a fish in water, wherever you swim.

All the necessary goods for sailing in the “Kant”

We highly recommend buying everything related to swimming after a personal visit to the Kant store and consultation with our professional sellers.

If you live in a city where there are no our stores, then this is not an obstacle to purchasing what you need. Simply, when making a purchase through our online store, please note that we have delivery by couriers and transport companies.

You can also use self-pickup if it is more convenient for you.

However, if you are confident in the model, if you are sure that the specified size or size will suit you 100%, then our online store is at your service.When buying via the Internet, we have various payment systems available:

• in cash to courier
• by bank transfer
• on card
• by installments
• with gift voucher

All details on different forms of payment

New items in Kant:

We also recommend you useful articles:

• How to choose the right swimming goggles?
• What is the right running training plan?
• BH bikes

review

• How can I protect my eyes from the sun, cold air and dirt? New Alpina Sunglasses for Summer 2021: Technologies and Bestsellers
• Essential bike accessories
• Tools Every Cyclist Must Have
• Cycling clothes in the city for different weather.Heat, wind, cold, rain, night riding
• How to choose a helmet for mountain bike, all-mountain and enduro
• How to protect yourself from bicycle theft? Review of bike locks Abus, BBB and Kryptonite
• Children and Cycling: When to Start, Which Bikes, Why Is It Good for Children to Ride Bikes?
• Running in the heat. Correct selection of clothes and shoes
• Warming up, cooling down, recovery. The right OXD sports creams for athletes
• Clothes and shoes for fast women
• Bjorn Daehlie Running Collection Overview
• Running for women.How to start and not quit in two weeks?
• Running Compression Underwear
• A selection of versatile running shoes. Saucony Ride 14

as an example

• The best asphalt running shoe to start the season. How to make the right choice?
• Suunto sports watch. Important Tips and Necessary Functions

Upon purchase, you can apply accrued or welcome bonuses on your first purchase. To do this, you need to register in the new bonus program “Kant” and receive welcome bonus rubles to your account only for registration.

Author: Alexander Karpov

90,000 Dedicated to the Primate: an old friend is better than two new ones

What has changed in our life?

With the onset of autumn, the vacation period ends.Children started classes or went to kindergartens. Parents went to work. Warm summer days are replaced by windy rainy cold autumn weather. Regular stresses of working days, together with temperature changes, cannot but affect the state of health: immunity decreases. As a result, one has to deal with an increase in the incidence of diseases, including the external ear and eyes. People with vision problems who use lenses are more vulnerable in this situation.

However, autumn is distinguished not only by an increase in the business activity of the population.In September-November, swimming pools begin to work, the attendance of saunas and baths increases. And no matter how uncompromising the fight against bacterial water pollution is, the laws of nature remain in force. The warm, moist environment that is created in the external auditory canal after water procedures is a fertile ground for the reproduction of microorganisms. No wonder people call external acute diffuse otitis media “swimmer’s ear”. For the above problems, you can use a good and reliable remedy – SOFRADEX.

What do we know about SOFRADEX?

Drops SOFRADEX over the long history of their existence on the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine have earned the recognition of the domestic consumer and the trust of practitioners.Such popularity cannot but affect its sales – over a million packs are sold annually (sales of SOFRADEX in physical terms in 2006 amounted to 1.5 million packs, and in 7 months of 2007 – 0.9 million packs – approx. ed., according to the analytical system of market research “Pharmstandard” of the company “MORION”) . Why are these eye / ear drops so popular?

As part of SOFRADEX is a reasonably selected combination of two antibiotics – framycetin and gramicidin, as well as the glucocorticoid dexamethasone.Framycetin sulfate, which has bactericidal properties, and gramicidin, which acts both bactericidal and bacteriostatic, provide a wide spectrum of antibacterial action, so the drug is effective against almost all pathogens that cause purulent inflammation of the eyes and ear canal. Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid that has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and antipruritic effects. When applied topically, it reduces the severity of pain and burning sensation, photophobia and lacrimation.

Thus, with the use of SOFRADEX, on the one hand, the severity of anxiety-causing symptoms decreases relatively quickly, on the other hand, the antimicrobial effect promotes recovery.

Why SOFRADEX?

Despite the abundance of ear and eye drops on the domestic market, upon detailed study, several groups of these drugs can be distinguished: purely antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and also, like SOFRADEX, combined – antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.Astringents are also used in ophthalmology and otolaryngology.

Purely antibacterial drugs act exclusively on the pathogen. Therefore, the improvement of the patient’s well-being is achieved somewhat more slowly and is directly related to its elimination. They are deprived of the opportunity to influence the course of the inflammatory process as such. In addition, this type of preparation contains one antibacterial agent. Against the background of an increase in the resistance of microorganisms to antibacterial agents, there is a possibility that the pathogen may be insensitive to the active substance of the drug.

Anti-inflammatory eye or ear drops, on the other hand, are designed to affect the course of the inflammatory process, which leads to a decrease in the severity of symptoms. However, if you rely solely on such drops, the improvement in well-being can be misleading for the patient. The presence of infection over time can lead to a sharp exacerbation of the disease.

When creating combined drops, other manufacturing companies adhered to the same principles as the developers of SOFRADEX – to choose the ideal combination of antibacterial agents that would be effective against all possible causative agents of diseases of the external ear canal and eyes.The presence of dexamethasone as an anti-inflammatory component contributes to the rapid elimination of the symptoms of the disease. However, most drugs with a similar mechanism of action contain a significantly higher concentration of glucocorticoid, which affects the safety profile of the drug.

Astringent eye and ear drops also have mild antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects, but their use is somewhat limited in the presence of other more potent drugs.

Note. SOFRADEX is a complex drug for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the eyes and external auditory canal of bacterial and bacterial-allergic genesis. It is recommended to use it for symptoms of eye diseases such as itching, burning, cramps, redness, eye fatigue, feeling of “sand behind the eyelids”, photophobia, lacrimation, the presence of mucous or mucopurulent discharge, which patients often call sour eyes. Otitis externa is manifested by pain, itching in the ear, and sometimes by hearing loss.The antibacterial components of the drug are designed to eliminate all kinds of bacterial infection, and the glucocorticoid – manifestations of the inflammatory process, which leads to a rapid improvement in the patient’s well-being.

SOFRADEX differs from other combined eye / ear drops in its low content of dexamethasone, which has a positive effect on the safety of its use. SOFRADEX is approved for use in children over 7 years of age. Thanks to the pricing policy of the sanofi aventis Group, SOFRADEX is available to a wide range of patients.

Thus, we can say with confidence that SOFRADEX perfectly combines such properties as efficiency, affordable price, and safety of use. It can be used as an ambulance for patients with inflammatory diseases of the eyes and external auditory canal. It is also important to consider the fact that SOFRADEX enjoys recognition and popularity among consumers. o

Irina Smolyaninova, otolaryngologist

90,000 do you need earplugs in the pool?

03.07.2019

Contents

• What do earplugs protect against?
• Do you always need to wear earplugs for swimming?
• Which earplugs are suitable for swimming?
• Plastic silicone earplugs
• Fungus (or herringbone) earplugs
• Custom-made earplugs
• What else can you do to protect your ears in the pool?

The swimmer’s protective equipment includes not only a cap and goggles, but also earplugs.We will tell you what they save from, and which models are optimal for swimming.

What do earplugs protect against?

A healthy human ear is, in principle, well protected from water. Firstly, the auditory canals are located at an acute angle to the outer ear – so if water accidentally gets into them, it flows out on its own, even without tilting the head. Second, the glands in the ear canals continually produce sulfur. It is a waxy substance that is water-repellent and inhibits the growth of pathogenic microbes that enter the ear with water.

But all these defense mechanisms stop working if water gets into the ears too often. The sulfur is eroded, and the membranes of the ear canals are loosened. This creates favorable conditions for the development of microbes. An infection that occurs as a result of long bathing is called acute otitis externa or swimmer’s ear. It typically presents with itching, pain, swelling, and temporary hearing impairment.

Scientific studies have shown that using earplugs while swimming can reduce the flow of water into the ears and thus reduce the risk of otitis media.Moreover, earplugs made of special materials protect much better than homemade cotton wool inserts moistened with petroleum jelly.

Do you always need to wear earplugs for swimming?

• Otolaryngologists recommend using ear plugs for patients who have the highest risk of a swimmer’s ear. These include:
• regular swimmers,
• Children who have undergone tympanostomy (insertion of small tubes into the eardrum to drain pus),
• patients with weakened immunity (for example, patients with diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid diseases),
• patients with perforated tympanic membrane,
• often suffering from otitis media.

People who are generally healthy and use the pool from time to time do not need to wear earplugs. It is enough to dry your ears well with a soft towel after swimming.

Which earplugs are suitable for swimming?

Those with waterproof properties. These earplugs are made of two materials: silicone and thermoplastic elastomer. Polyurethane foam and wax earplugs will not work. Wax earplugs are usually covered with cotton, which absorbs water well.And polyurethane foam swells in water and creates excessive pressure on the ear canals.

There are many models of silicone and thermoplastic earplugs: balls, mushrooms, herringbones and custom made. There are no ideal ones among them. Experienced swimmers are advised to try several types of earplugs to find the most comfortable fit.

Plastic silicone earplugs

The texture of these earplugs is similar to sticky dough. They need to be put into the ear, then with your fingers to give the desired shape – the silicone will be distributed over the auricle, tightly closing the ear canal.
The silicone earplugs are washable. With daily use, one pair is enough for 1-2 weeks.

Pros: Inexpensive. Suitable for both adults and children, as they adapt to the shape of the ear.

Cons: Can be dropped and lost while swimming. They have a high level of noise cancellation (up to 33 dB), so they interfere with the coach’s hearing. Dust and lint easily adhere to the sticky silicone surface – earplugs have to be cleaned frequently.

Ear plugs – “fungi” (or “herringbones”)

Moldex Rockets are made of soft thermoplastic elastomer.Outwardly, the “fungus” ear plug really resembles a mushroom. It consists of a leg, to which are attached tapered rims (caps). There can be from one to four such hats in total. Each subsequent cap is wider than the previous one, which makes it difficult for water to enter the ear. Holding on to the leg, it is necessary to put the end of the earplug into the ear canal and turn it – due to the vacuum effect, the earplug will be drawn into the ear. The thermoplastic earplugs are easy to clean and last for several months.

Pros: Inexpensive.Hygienic, soft. Easy to insert and remove.

Cons: May not fit (most models are for adults). Interferes with a snug fit of the cap.

Custom earplugs

This service is usually offered by audiological centers. Earplugs are made of thermoplastic or dense silicone according to an individual ear impression. The impressions are removed by the hearing care professional. It is important to learn how to insert custom-made earplugs into your ears, otherwise they will constantly pop out during swimming.Instructions for use are provided with earplugs.

Pros: Perfect fit for the shape of the ear. Feel comfortable. They serve for a long time.

Cons: The most expensive option. They can fall out and get lost, as well as factory earplugs (and it is more difficult to replace them). Young children often need adult help to properly insert earplugs.

What else can you do to protect your ears in a pool?

For the prevention of “swimmer’s ear”, the specialists of the American Mayo Clinic (the largest research center in the world) recommend adhering to the following recommendations:

• After swimming, dry your ears thoroughly with a soft towel.You can also dry your ears with a hair dryer. But place it at least 30 cm from your ear and set the knob to the lowest setting.
• If your eardrum is intact, use ear drops for swimmers to prevent infections. They contain alcohol, which has a drying effect and prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi.
• Do not use cotton swabs to clean your ear canals – they will push softened wax and infection deeper into the ear.
• If you have a recent ear infection, do not go to the pool without a doctor’s approval.

Hazard on the water, injuries when swimming and swimming

Open water swimming and swimming season is in full swing across the country. And many went to the warm foreign sea. What are the most common water injuries that lie in wait for us and what to do if they happen?

Bather’s overconfidence is to blame for the vast majority of water injuries! The ability to swim is not so much
it is important, because sometimes it is good swimmers and experienced divers who are on the rampage.And, of course, teenagers
to whom fear is unknown due to lack of experience. Be careful not to dive in places where it is not visible,
what’s on the bottom, and don’t swim across anything on a bet!

Water Injury: Cramp

Sudden spasm of the leg, less often the press or hands in the water – common but dangerous
happening. It occurs due to fatigue (a person swam or jumped for a long time), hypothermia, dehydration (after all, swimming or
bathing, a person does not drink).

What to do?

• Maintain on water with healthy limbs (usually hands)
  vertically or tilted, but with the head thrown back so that the nose and mouth are above the water at any
  scenario. Remember that even if you cannot do anything with the contracted muscle, after 3-5
  minutes she will go away by herself. Your task is not to go under water until this happy moment.
• Try to straighten the flattened limb.If the foot is bunched, it is more convenient to delay
  with your good leg or hand. Hard massage will also help – knead with force
  flattened place.
• You can try to pinch yourself until it hurts, or even bite. Some swimmers
  for long distances, a safety pin is injected into the swimming trunks in order to prick themselves in this situation.
  The nervous system reflexively switches to the site of sudden pain, and the cramp usually stops.
  There is no need to pinch the cramps!

For the future, try to avoid swimming in those conditions (fatigue, cold water, etc.)in which you have a seizure.

Injuries on the water: vascular crisis

Occurs when, after being well heated in the sun, a person quickly enters the water and especially –
if he jumps there with a running start. The vessels do not have time to narrow, and a fall in the arterial
pressure, up to loss of consciousness and even cardiac arrest.

What to do?

• If the water feels cool (which almost always happens in the middle
  strip), go into it gradually.Enter up to the level of your hips and stand, wipe your body and shoulders with water.
  Once the water no longer feels cool, swim calmly.

Water Injuries: ears

When bathing, water can get into your ears, which is not a problem for healthy ears. But diving from a height
or to a depth can lead to barotrauma of the tympanic (ear) membrane. It happens when it happens
a sharp drop between the pressure of the external environment (from air to water) and the pressure in the inner ear –
the eardrum is simply torn.

What to do?

• If a person has
  there is a runny nose, inflammation of the nasopharynx or throat, then the inner ear is difficult to adapt to the pressure drop.
  And even habitual diving can lead to barotrauma.
• If you dived and felt
  ear pain, noise, hearing becomes worse – get out of the water! It is best to consult a doctor,
  since the ear canal must be cleaned from the inside from blood clots and water.If this is not possible,
  gently rinse the ear with pharmacy hydrogen peroxide, then insert a dry sterile swab and apply
  bandage. Normally, the membrane grows together in 3-4 weeks.

Diver’s Injury

These are the most dangerous injuries that lie in wait for those who jump into opaque water and bump into solid
bottom, stone, flooded pile, etc. Typical “diver’s injury”
doctors call a fracture of the neck, this also includes concussions and numerous injuries to the skull and spine.The most dangerous thing is that even with a minor injury on the water, the diver can briefly lose consciousness and drown.
Rescuers have
only 4-5 minutes!

What to do?

• When pulling an injured person ashore, do not grab him by the neck or hair.
  It is best to turn the person with his back to himself, press him to the thigh, clasping his hand, and so
  to transport.
• If your skin turns blue or has a purple hue, water has entered your lungs.
  At the same time, the pulse is maintained, the heart beats. Get on one knee, lay the drowned man
  with your stomach towards you on a bent hip and rhythmically press between the shoulder blades several times. Should begin
  expectoration and vomiting.
• If the skin does not turn blue, but turns pale, it is necessary
  artificial respiration, and if the heart does not beat (no pulse) – then indirect (closed)
  heart massage.It is better to read in advance how these resuscitation measures are done, about them in a nutshell
  you will not tell.
• If a person breathes, but does not regain consciousness, or the pupils do not narrow,
  or there are other suspicions of an injury to the neck, back, head, then lay him on his back on a firm
  surface, put a rolled towel or clothing under your neck. And call an ambulance! “Injuries
  diver ”, if not taken in time, can lead to paralysis.

If you have any questions, you can ask your general practitioner
or a sports doctor online at
application Doctis.

90,000 drug search, prices and availability of drugs in the pharmacies of Melovoe and Ukraine

About the project – My Pharmacy

My Pharmacy is the fastest and most convenient way to find the necessary medicines in any pharmacy throughout Ukraine. We provide up-to-date information on prices and availability
medicines in pharmacies in Ukraine.Here you can buy medicines at low prices by comparing prices or making an online reservation.

Our database contains data on more than 11,000,000 product offerings of medicines and related products in 3,000 pharmacies in Kiev and other settlements of Ukraine.

Updating the database of the assortment of goods every 20 minutes allows you to always provide the most up-to-date and reliable information about medicines.

In addition, the user can familiarize himself with the work schedule and contacts of each pharmacy outlet presented on our resource, find the addresses of 24-hour pharmacies and build them
route on the map.

The goal of this project is to provide an opportunity for each user to search for medicines as simply and efficiently as possible, and ordering pills online quickly and conveniently.

Benefits for users

My Pharmacy has a number of advantages that distinguish us favorably from competitors, thanks to which clients choose us.

We offer:

• Ability to quickly search for drugs in pharmacies in Kiev and other cities of Ukraine;
• Inquire about the availability of drugs in pharmacies in Ukraine;
• View current prices for medicines in various pharmacies;
• Comparison of prices in pharmacies for the drug of interest and find out where it can be purchased at the most profitable;
• We provide an opportunity to get an additional discount when ordering medicines online;
• Find analogs of expensive drugs by comparing drugs by active ingredient;
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions for use;
• Find out about the availability of drugs in the nearest pharmacies, and independently build a route on the map online;
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90,000 Otitis externa: how to protect yourself and children from the disease?

24.01.2020 15:21 (Updated 24.01.2020 at 15:22)

About 15-25% of patients (of the total number) consult an otolaryngologist with otitis externa. The disease is diagnosed in both adults and children.But in children – much more often.

About what constitutes otitis externa, or, as it is also called, “swimmer’s ear”, I tell in the material.

What is otitis externa?

This is a disease of the external auditory canal, auricle and the outer layer of the tympanic membrane of an inflammatory nature.

From the point of view of origin, viral, bacterial, fungal, idiopathic and allergic otitis media are isolated.The most common causative agents of this disease are bacteria or fungi. In about 60-90% of cases, inflammatory ear diseases are precisely bacterial in nature.

There are limited and diffuse otitis externa.

External is characterized by the appearance of a boil, diffuse – by the defeat of the entire ear canal. Simply put, in the first case, the inflammatory process has a small localization, in the second, the inflammation affects the entire auditory canal.

A rare form of otitis externa is malignant otitis externa – the infection spreads to the temporal bone of the skull (osteomyelitis).

Symptoms of otitis externa

The main symptoms that signal otitis externa are:

• acute throbbing pain in the ear;
• itching;
• noise in the auricle;
• Hearing impairment or congestion;
• swelling;
• redness of the entrance to the ear canal;
• Specific ear discharge;
• high body temperature;
• headache.

With otitis externa, the pain in the ear is worse when chewing or even opening the mouth.As a rule, in 70% of cases, it indicates ear inflammation.

All of the above symptoms are observed in patients of all ages. However, in children, irritability is added, crying, throwing back or shaking their head (“pendulum” movements). Also, the child may often touch the ears with his hands.

Noticing the uncharacteristic behavior of the baby, parents can slightly (!) Put pressure on the tragus (cartilage) at the base of the auricle. If after that he begins to cry, you should immediately consult an otolaryngologist.

Why does otitis externa occur?

There are several reasons for the development of otitis externa.

Firstly, is diligent cleaning of ears with cotton swabs or other questionable items (toothpicks, pencils, keys, etc.).

The fact is that earwax regulates the acid-base balance – it maintains an acidic environment in which pathogenic microorganisms are not able to multiply. By removing earwax, a person “clears” the protective barrier and disrupts the microbiome.As a result, the protective function of the ear canal is weakened.

If the skin has been damaged while cleaning the ears, bad microorganisms are easily absorbed, triggering the inflammatory process.

Therefore, in order to prevent otitis media, use ear sticks with restraints.

Secondly, otitis externa develops when water accumulates in the ear canal during regular swimming. That is why this form of otitis media has a second name – “swimmer’s ear”.To avoid the accumulation of water, after swimming, you should blot the auricle with a clean towel or dry your ears with a hairdryer. Before that, it is advisable to shake your head in different directions so that the water flows out. You can also use a swimming cap or earplugs.

Thirdly , otitis externa can be a reason for poor ear hygiene. This refers to the use of headphones, earplugs, hearing aids that are not properly disinfected.

Fourthly, otitis externa can develop in infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract (sinusitis, flu, laryngitis).Particles of mucus or phlegm from the nose enter the ear through the Eustachian tube. As a result, the tube closes, the air pressure in the ear decreases, which leads to the accumulation of fluid.

In addition, the factors provoking otitis media are:

• eczema;
• psoriasis;
• seborrheic dermatitis;
• foreign objects entering the ear canal;
• insect bites;
• impaired production of earwax, etc.

How to treat otitis externa?

If you suspect that you or your child is developing otitis externa, you should see an otolaryngologist.And only after receiving an accurate diagnosis, you can begin treatment.

Before an appointment with a specialist, you must not:

• bury your ear with ear drops, sea water, aloe or walnut juice, etc.;
• to warm up the ear;
• Apply lotions or try to flush the ear canal.

Treatment for otitis externa involves cleansing the ear canal and eliminating inflammation and / or edema.

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